Chapter 2

Sir Daniel came back the next day before I had even waken up.

"Sir Daniel is here to see you again," Mandy said, shaking me softly.

I pulled my head under my blanket.

"I don't want to see him," I said, my voice muffled.

"Ella, he's waiting for you out there. You can't just leave him waiting out there."

Mandy left, and I continued sleeping under the blanket. After several minutes, I woke back up. I got up groggily, hoping that Sir Daniel had left.

I looked at myself in the mirror. My eyes were red and swollen because I had cried myself to sleep. I flushed my face with cold water and looked at myself again. I still looked torn and stressed. I gave up and slipped on a plain brown dress from my wardrobe.

I walked down cautiously, hoping he had left. The stairrails reminded me of Char. It seemed that everything did.

"Ella," Sir Daniel said, bowing as I stepped down from the stairs.

"Sir Daniel," I muttered with disappointment. "Nice to meet you."

Sir Daniel smiled again, with his arrogant smile. It bothered me.

"Do you want to go for a walk with me?"

I thought about it. I didn't want to, but I remembered my rudeness at him yesterday. I felt a little guilty.

I'll go with him, I thought. But I shan't enjoy it.

"I'll go," I replied.

I headed for the door. I noticed he was still standing in the middle of my living room.

"Are you coming?" I asked. He stood there, eyeing me.

"Don't you need to change?"

I shrugged.

"I think this is fine," I told him.

We started out walking, silently.

"So, are you living in Frell now?" I asked him. He nodded.

"Your father told me about you when I asked him about houses in Frell. He even suggested we marry right away."

I laughed to myself. Father really was urgent to save himself from his debts.

"Is something so funny?" Sir Daniel asked.

"Nothing," I told him. "I just thought it was funny that...Father is looking at me as his tool for wealth, not his daughter. What did you think when Father suggested that we marry."

He looked indifferent.

"It's not the first time," he admitted. "I've had numerous marriage proposals from ladies' fathers."

"Stop showing off," I muttered.

He looked at me in surprise. "I'm not! I'm telling the truth."

"Do you treat all the ladies like this? Taking them on walks and talking about your previous ones?"

"No, you're the first." I didn't believe him. He didn't seem to be an honest person. He continued talking about his past, not bothering to see if I was interested or not, because in fact, I was bored. It neared dusk, and he was still talking. I didn't bother to hint my disinterest.

"Tell me something about yourself," he said. I didn't hear him.

"Ella!" I looked at him.

"What?"

"Did you hear me?"

"Yeah," I blustered.

"Tell me something about yourself, then. I'll feel foolish if I'm the only one speaking."

I didn't reply. I was adamant about keeping silent, but the command pulled at me.

"I don't plan on getting married," I blurted out. I covered my mouth quickly for saying that.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. I looked at him, expecting him to be furious. Instead, he was smiling with amusement.

"What a sure thing to say, for someone so young." I replied nothing in return.

"Tell me something else," he commanded. I hesitated.

"I'm an expert with tongues." He gave an interested look.

"Oh? An expert?"

"Close," I said, blushing at my rash bragging.

"Say something," he said, grinning. I grinned too.

"What language?"

"Ogrese," he challenged. I instantly thought of Char and helping him catch the ogres. My heart thumped with pain at the memory ran through my mind. His handsome face appeared quickly in my mind, and my eyes teared slightly.

"SSyug luhlFFOO," I said. "It means 'You are delicious.'"

He chuckled.

"Oh? Are you going to eat me?"

"liMMoon oFE." Of course. We continued the walk, with me teaching Sir Daniel tidbits of each language and him repeating them atrociously.

"You're terrible at this," I informed him.

"And you don't care if you offend me, do you?" he joked.

I caught him smiling, and I looked away.

"It's getting late," I said, without answering his question. "We should be getting back." He stared up at the sky, and it was nearing nighttime. The sky was a lucscious palette of pinks and oranges.

"It's lovely," he whispered. I nodded, agreeing with him for once. Then, we walked back to my manor in silence.